ACC ~ Hebrews 2 v11 - 12

WE ARE SONS AND DAUGHTERS BY GRACE. THEODORET OF CYR: “The one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin.” This is a reference to the humanity of the one who sanctifies, for the assumed nature is created. The creator of him and of us is one. We are sanctified through him. Now if the heretics wish to understand this of the divine nature, let them not do so in such a way as to lessen the glory of the only begotten. For both we and he have one Father; but it is clear that he is Son by nature, we by grace. The fact that it says, “He sanctifies, but we are sanctified,” teaches us this difference. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 2.

CLOTHED AS OUR SIBLING. CHRYSOSTOM: “He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Do you see how again he shows the superiority? For by saying, “he is not ashamed,” he shows that the whole comes not of the nature of the thing but of the loving affection of him who was “not ashamed” of anything, yes, of his great humility. For though we are “of one origin,” yet he sanctifies and we are sanctified, and great is the difference. Moreover “he” is of the Father as a true Son, that is, of his substance; “we” as created, that is, brought out of things that are not, so that the difference is great. Therefore he says, “He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, ‘I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters.’”For when he clothed himself with flesh, he clothed himself also with his siblings, and at the same time came in human form. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 4.5.

GOD BY NATURE, BROTHER BY GRACE. PHOTIUS: “He will not be ashamed.” He highlighted the difference. Even though he is truly human, he is our brother not according to nature but according to his love toward humankind, as he remains truly God. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 2.11.

BORN UNTO GOD’S GRACE. AUGUSTINE: Insofar as he is the only begotten, he is without sibling, but insofar as he is the “firstborn” he has deigned to call all those his siblings who, subsequent to and in virtue of his being first, are born again unto God’s grace through filial adoption, in accordance with the teaching of the apostle. ON FAITH AND THE CREED 4.6.

CLOTHED WITH OUR NATURE. THEODORET OF CYR: How would it be possible to name him our brother or to call us sons and daughters properly if it were not for the nature—the same as ours—with which he was clothed? … And it was especially necessary for Paul to say “in the same way” so that he might refute the reproach of making the incarnation a fantasy. He makes all of these points in order to teach those who suppose that the Son was lower than the angels that he en-dured suffering for a necessary reason. He explains this more clearly in what follows. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 2.14-15.

Heb